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You’re invited to shape Mayor’s Youth & Families Initiative

The arts build community and are a powerful tool for engaging young people. Mayor Mike McGinn invites you to participate in the Youth and Families Initiative, a major initiative announced during his inaugural address.

“The children and families of our city are facing many difficult challenges,” said McGinn.  “As a community, we need to talk about what we want for our kids and how best to create a healthy, positive and equitable environment for all families in our city.”

Join the co-chairs of the new initiative—former Mayor Norm Rice; former Deputy Mayor Bob Watt; and Estela Ortega, executive director of El Centro de la Raza—at a series of five community workshops, where trained facilitators will lead participants through the beginnings of this group discussion.

The first workshop is 7 to 8:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 22, at Rainier Community Center. Click here for the locations of upcoming workshops in March. All meetings are scheduled from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Activities for kids older than three years of age and light refreshments will be provided. Can’t attend a meeting? Leave your comments on the Mayor’s website.

We’re pleased to be working with the Mayor’s Office to showcase young artists at the meetings. Interested in volunteering with the initiative? Click here.

“It is only together that we can solve the deep, complex problem of how to create an equitable community for our great city’s youth and families,” said McGinn. “There is no one solution, no one program or person who can point our neighborhoods in the right direction. We ask that you join us at the beginning of this discussion so that we may all work together toward the common goal of a stronger community.”